The invention relates to an ink-storage unit for a hand stamp, including a retainer in which a storage body is arranged, and a frame in which a printing plate is arranged, wherein in a provisional mounting position the frame sits on the retainer, in which position the storage body and the printing plate are held at a distance from each other, and the frame can be moved into a final mounting position on the retainer, in which position the storage body and the printing plate lie against each other.
The invention further relates to a hand stamp comprising such an ink-storage unit and an actuating device for moving the printing plate arranged in the retainer from a resting position retracted in a housing into a printing position.
From the prior art, pre-inked hand stamps including ink storage units are known, in which so-called flash systems are used to produce printing plates having individually adaptable printing patterns, such a flash system being based on exposing an open-pore foam body provided for forming the printing plate to short-term exposures (flashes). The flashes cause the pores of the foam body to close in those regions where no stamp imprint is to be produced, wherein the printing plate, in order to obtain the desired stamp pattern, is introduced into an exposure machine together with a foil comprising said stamp pattern. To supply the printing plate with stamping ink, a separate storage body impregnated with stamping ink is usually provided. A hand stamp of this type is, for instance, described in AT 503 112 B1.
From European Patent EP 1 805 032 B1, a hand stamp in which the printing plate is formed by an exposed foam body is known. In that case, the printing plate and the storage body are each disposed in a separate frame part and retaining part, respectively, which parts are mutually engaged in a provisional position in such a manner that the printing plate and the storage body are arranged in a spaced-apart relationship while forming an air gap. The printing plate is fixed in its frame part by the aid of nipple projections preventing the printing plate from contacting the storage body. During the exposure operation in an exposure machine, the frame parts are disposed between a pressing plate and a glass plate. By applying a contact pressure, said parts are pushed together into a final position, in which the printing plate and the storage body contact each other for exchanging stamping ink. In the shown ink storage unit, the fixed fastening by gluing of the ink storage in its retaining part is disadvantageous, since the adhesive connection may come loose during operation, or gluing will not be possible, or only insufficiently possible, when using certain synthetic materials like polypropylene etc. for the retaining parts.
U.S. 2009/0101032 A1 describes a self-inking hand stamp of another type, in which the stamp unit is provided in a single mounting position. The stamp comprises a stamp housing in which a coupling part including two refill nozzles is disposed and which, by actuating a handle portion, is pressed on an ink storage contacting a stamp plate. An exposed foamed material forming the desired stamp pattern is provided as stamp plate. To fix the ink storage in the single mounting position, projections penetrating into the ink storage are provided on the lower side of the coupling part.
A further stamp device, which merely provides a single mounting position, is described in DE 697 05 913 T2. That stamp device comprises a stamp plate which is fixed on its longitudinal side by a pair of claws elastically engaging the stamp plate.
DE 699 09 391 T2 describes a stamp unit including an apron part, a holder displaceably arranged within the apron part, and a stamp material that is pressed against a stamp sheet upon actuation of a handle portion. The holder comprises bending portions fixing the stamp material by the aid of an interposed sealing agent.
A stamp having a stripping foil is known from EP 0 572 218 A2.